§ MR.DILLWYNasked the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies, If he can state to the House, what is the number of Civil Servants of the Anglican and Roman Catholic Communions respectively employed at Gibraltar, for whom it is proposed by the draft ordinances published by the authority of the Governor of Gibraltar on the 15th of January last, to provide endowments; and, whether those draft ordinances were prepared or recommended by the Attorney General of the Colony?
§ MR. J. LOWTHERAccording to the latest Return, the Civil Servants employed at Gibraltar consisted of 52 members of the Church of England and 79 Roman Catholics. These figures, of course, take no account of a considerable non-official population. These draft ordinances were not prepared by the Attorney General of the colony, but other drafts, embodying for the most part similar conditions, were prepared by him and were rejected on account of some comparatively minor details. These will be included in the Papers about to be laid upon the Table, so that my hon. Friend will be able to compare them with those 67 now under consideration. I may take this opportunity of stating that, in order to meet the views of my hon. Friend, no immediate action will be taken upon this matter, and I will undertake that no final step is adopted before Easter. As, however, any prolonged delay would be productive of inconvenience, I hope he will be able to take whatever steps he thinks necessary before that date; and I would venture to suggest that such action should take the form of a Motion, which would admit of some explanation in reply.
§ MR.DILLWYNgave Notice that on the Motion to go into Supply he would move for Papers and Correspondence on the subject.